iPad has camera holes?

Two interesting pictures have crossed our desks today.  First we got a still image of Steve Jobs showing off the iPad with what looks like a small camera type hole on it.  I was at the event and the iPads I played with didn’t have holes for cameras (I really looked closely).  I wasn’t close enough to see the one Jobs was using either, but from other professional photos of the event, there wasn’t a camera on that iPad.

That being said, would it surprise anyone if Apple came in late and put in a camera on the high-end models?  Maybe the $130 extra for a 3G radio also includes a camera in the bargain?  Computerworld recently remarked that it was ridiculous to charge $130 for 3G+GPS  parts that were worth $10-$20.  A camera would close that gap some in many minds.

Note that Apple didn’t reveal the glass screen on the iPhone until five months after the initial announcement with a press release.

Next, Mission repair (via Macrumors), reports that they got a iPad frame (not unibody huh?) from somewhere and low a behold, it has a camera hole the exact same size as a MacBook camera.  They’ve even put a MacBook camera in there and it fits perfectly.  Remember though, that prototype iPods with camera holes and iPod frames were spotted last year before Apple released a camera-less iPod touch.

Top: iPad frame, Center: Camera, Bottom: MacBook Frame

HardMac has been receiving identical parts with identical camera holes.  Below.

 

And finally, a bonus picture from a Travis Kelland who really wants there to be a camera on that iPad.